This invention relates generally to a gunstock or butt incorporating a magazine for storage of ammunition, and more particularly to such a gunstock wherein the magazine is adapted to facilitate delivery of the ammunition into the user's hand when desired. Even more particularly, the invention relates to such a gunstock wherein the ammunition stored and delivered is of a type having a relatively flat forward nose, such that a rimmed and recessed nose configuration is presented, such as for example a shotgun shell.
Many firearms are available that incorporate a magazine capable of feeding ammunition directly into the chamber of a weapon for firing. Among these are found firearms with detachable magazines or clips and firearms with integral magazines. The key advantage presented by such magazines is the ability to rapidly reload the weapon for firing successive rounds after the earlier round is fired.
Firearm weapons with integral magazines generally require that the magazine be reloaded one round at a time once the initial store of ammunition is exhausted. Alternatively, single rounds are fed directly into the receiver by hand in order to maintain continuous firing. Typical of weapons with integral magazines is the pump shotgun, whose magazine, due to the size of the shotgun shell, cannot accommodate large amounts of spare ammunition. In situations where numerous rounds must be fired, the user of the weapon often carries spare rounds in pouches or ammunition belts. In many circumstances it is desirable to reduce the delay between the expenditure of the final round of ammunition contained in the integral magazine and the transfer of secondarily stored ammunition into the chamber. Optimally, the reserve shells are presented at the shortest distance from the receiver and in proper orientation to be inserted. It is also considered desirable to enable this operation to be performed with one hand, while retaining the other hand in position ready for firing the weapon.
Furthermore, it is sometimes desirable for the user of the weapon to carry it unloaded while providing the capability of rapid chamber loading. It is also considered desirable to provide rapid access to different types of ammunition that can be utilized in the same firearm, so that the appropriate choice can be made as the target is presented.
In order to provide the above benefits, while retaining the simplicity of an ordinary gunstock, it is desirable to minimize the number of additional parts and to avoid the use of accessory features that must be employed to store the ammunition.
Numerous ammunition storage devices are known which fail to provide the features outlined above. Among these are U.S. Pat. No. 746,859, U.S. Pat. No. 1,099,992, U.S. Pat. No. 1,517,420, U.S. Pat. No. 1,526,847, U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,977, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,344.
The best solution heretofore to the above referenced problems is U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,127, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, which teaches an integral storage magazine or plural magazines incorporated within the butt portion of the gunstock of a firearm, the magazine comprising an elongated bore having an access port located at the forward end of the bore. The port has an inclined ramp surface to facilitate loading and ejection of ammunition. A spring member biased when a shell is in storage further facilitates ejection of the ammunition. A shouldered projection member temporarily abuts the recessed forward end of the ammunition within the bore to retain the ammunition within the bore until desired. To retrieve a shell from the magazine, the shell is pushed slightly rearward to depress the spring and to allow the rim of the shell to clear the projection member. Then the rearward pressure is stopped to allow the spring to push the shell forward and out of the bore into the user's hand. The bore is preferably of sufficient length to allow for storage of multiple shells, extending to the gun butt. Multiple bores may be provided in the gunstock.
It has been ascertained however, that the design of the gunstock as presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,127 can be improved upon to address several problems. For example, it has been found that there is a tendency for stored shells to fall from the storage magazine upon firing due to recoil forces or upon encountering a strong striking force. An improved construction for the forward end of the magazine bore improves upon the retention ability of the magazine during firing recoil and general handling, insuring that shells stored in the magazine are not inadvertently ejected. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved gunstock incorporating a magazine for storing ammunition.